WHITPAIN — With the weekend around the corner and no rain or snow in the forecast, nobody wants to drive around in a dirty car.

While it may be a little cheaper to haul out the bucket and hose in the driveway and do it yourself, for just three bucks you can get the job done a lot faster at the new Waterworks Express Car Wash in Blue Bell.

Besides, with all that spraying, swishing and sudsing going on around you, what could be a more vitalizing experience going into a brand new year than riding through a car wash tunnel and cruising out with a squeaky clean set of wheels?

A speedy and green shower for your vehicle is what Chuck Riegg had in mind when he opened the nifty state-of-the-art and environmentally respectful facility on the site of the old Duke’s Firehose Company.

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For the past 10 years the Bucks County resident had earned a spotless reputation in an industry where spots can be your downfall, with the original Waterworks Car Wash, a full-service operation on Ridge Pike in Plymouth Township.

Last fall he decided to branch out with an automated Waterworks sequel across town, hoping drivers on DeKalb Pike would welcome a convenient pit stop where they could get a quick bath.

“The customers in Plymouth Meeting would come to us from Blue Bell and kept telling me I needed to open a car wash here,” Riegg said. “Some people just want a quick wash and don’t want to be bothered getting in and out of their car. So by having the two washes four miles apart, it’s working out well. And this building was pretty run down, so everybody likes the fact that we completely renovated it and it’s not an eyesore anymore.”

An automated teller and a drive-through ordering system akin to a fast food menu screen greet you at the gated entry upon pulling in to Waterworks Express. Washes start at the no-frills price of $3, but it’s easy to wrack up finishing touches like Rain-X and tire cleaner that can top you out at $12.

Make your choice, insert your debit or credit card, drive onto the conveyor belt while following the human attendant’s time-tested instructions to slip into neutral gear, and you’re on your way through the high-tech tunnel.

“Instead of spraying out, the water flows like rain onto the car,” Riegg said. “It gives more impact and wastes less water, just getting right on the car and rinsing it off. It cleans better and rinses better.”

There is no toweling-off guy to meet you on the other side, hence no tipping.

“You get a spot-free rinse because the reverse osmosis process removes chemicals from water to avoid spots,” Riegg explained.

In an effort to be environmentally friendly, all of the chemicals that make your vehicle sparkle are biodegradable.

A token-free, DIY vacuum is included in whatever package you chose.

Customers who want to make a splash in the speediest way possible can also opt for something not unlike an Easy Pass, where a microchip on the car gets them in and out for an unlimited number of washes and their credit card is charged automatically every month.

“Quite a few people have gotten them,” Riegg said.

With three computers at the helm, the car wash can run itself with practically no flesh-and-blood assistance, Riegg pointed out.

“It’s not as labor intensive with an automated wash. Nobody has to ever touch your car,” he said.

As a 25-year veteran of the business, the amiable Riegg is well aware that engaging with people on a regular basis is what earned him his success.

“Some people just want to get in and out and not even look at you, while others want to engage in conversation … and that’s why our other car wash is so successful, because we interact with people so much. I do like that aspect of the business,” he admitted, “but some people don’t, so we’re trying to give something to everybody. I like the business and I like cars. It’s my passion, and you get a little bit of everything. You deal with people and nice cars and give people something they like.”